An Aussie in New York - Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration - Day 5

Photos by Maria Ngo

Today is Thursday. I arrived in New York on Saturday night. This is now the fifth day of my grand adventure as a solo female traveller. 

So far the weather has been excellent for this time of the year - early November. I will miss the worst of it. But I can do without getting stranded in NY because of bad weather, so I am very grateful. 

I am off to see that grand French lady that sits in New York harbour. I realise too late that I have forgotten to pack my umbrella this morning in my backpack. Showers have been predicted for today.  So after I get exit the subway at Chambers St Station, I look for a shop that sells umbrellas. I locate one and so now I have a NY souvenir. 

I am headed for Battery Park. I drop in on Trinity Church on the way. Many NY notables are buried here - including Alexander Hamilton, Robert Fulton, Albert Gallatin, John Peter Zenger and Elizabeth Schuyler. NY is rich with history and if I had more time, I would have loved to check out some of these self-guided tours. 

Trinity Church cemetery

A short walk later I am in Battery Park. The ticket office is in a historical fort Castle Clinton National Monument (It was called Castle Garden before.) This castle once served as the New York State immigration station from 1855 to 1890.

No queues today at the ticket counter

The departure point for Liberty Cruises is to the rear of the remains of this castle. You have to walk around the building to get there. There is a security check before you are allowed on board. (Sorry, no photos, it's a secure area.) 

National Park Service informs us that there is only one official ticket seller for cruises to Liberty Island where the Statue of Liberty is sited. This ticket entitles you to ranger tours and audio tours on Liberty Island as well as Ellis Island where the Immigration Centre for processing migrants was located. This too is worth visiting. For an extra fee you can either go up to the pedestal or the crown. Tickets to the crown are often booked out quite far in advance - I had purchased my ticket before my departure and my ticket was safely in my bag. Unfortunately, by the time I had confirmed that I was going to NY and the dates I would be there and finalised my itinerary before leaving, tickets to the crown had all been snapped up. 

A lovely view of Manhattan as we pull away

I find myself a seat on the upper deck of the boat and we are treated to a really lovely view of Manhattan as the boat pulls away from the harbour and steams towards Liberty Island. Soon I can see the Statue of Liberty. 

There she is

Liberty Island

After disembarking, I follow the crowd to the flagpole. Along the way I pick up my free audio guide. I join a ranger tour. He is an entertaining story teller and I learn about how America was gifted with this huge statue from the French. 

An entertaining ranger tells us about the history of Lady Liberty

Selfie with the Statue of Liberty

I then make my way to The Statue to get in by my prebooked time. There is quite a nice view from the pedestal. I content myself with taking photos from ground level from every angle I can manage. I then discover that there is a lot more information about the island itself contained in the audio guide. So I turn my attention to that. 

View from the Statue of Liberty

Afterwards I head for the other solid structure on the island which is the museum. Although it is not a large museum, it is very well presented. 

The man with the big dream

I had not realised that there was so much more to learn about the island and have actually spent too much time at the statue itself. I can only skim through and pick just a few highlights from the audio guide as I wander around the island foreshore. 

Now I hurry to the ferry terminal to catch the one headed for Ellis Island. I don't know what to expect but am quite surprised at what I do find there. Depending on how much time you have, there are suggested 'routes' you can follow to take in particular themes of the National Museum of Immigration. The main building is open for you to wander through with information boards and exhibits in many of the rooms. This is where I turn to my audio guide again. 

Now, which tour should I choose

"Ellis Island began receiving arriving immigrants on January 1, 1892. Annie Moore, a teenage girl from Ireland, accompanied by her two younger brothers, made history as the very first immigrant to be processed at Ellis Island. Over the next 62 years, more than 12 million immigrants would arrive in the United States via Ellis Island." (https://www.statueofliberty.org/ellis-island/overview-history/)  

12 million immigrants were processed here

Immigrant children

Descriptive displays

You can see Manhattan from the island

I encounter a ranger guide along my wandering. They are a wealth of information and very entertaining. 

It is now getting close to sunset so I head for the wharf to wait for the ferry. Unfortunately I get distracted and end up on the ferry headed to New Jersey instead of Manhattan! I don't realise my mistake until I have disembarked. To my horror, I am told that I am not allowed to get back on board the ferry - besides it is not heading back to Manhattan. I have to find my own way back to Manhattan. 

I am told that there is a half hourly ferry that ply between the two places. I am totally lost and walk in the direction that was pointed out to me and walk along the water front. This supposed ferry terminal is not clearly marked on Google Maps*  and there are no signs to indicate where it is to be found. I actually walk past it in the dark and it was only with the help of a restaurant staff that I locate the tiny jetty. There are only workmen there who don't speak English when I inquire about tickets. There are no ticket machines anywhere to be seen. Eventually a well-dressed lady comes along. After asking her if this was the place to catch the ferry back to Manhattan, she tells me that I am in the right place. She tells me that I can get a ticket on the ferry. We get chatting and I tell her my story. We board the ferry together and she even buys me a ticket to get back to Manhattan. Her husband is waiting for her at the other side and he directs me on the best way to get to the station I am after. Just as well I had taken a screen shot of my route this morning so I can tell him where I need to be. I am every so thankful for these two kind souls. 

It starts to drizzle as I walk towards the station. My umbrella comes in handy now as I walk past a school - there are parents with kids about and I don't feel unsafe. Eventually I recognise the landmarks from this morning. I am very relieved - to say that I did not panic upon discovering that I had landed in territory I had not intended to be at would be an untruth. I have had enough of my fill of adrenaline for one night. 

Penn Station Plaza is a welcome sight with its neat small food joints. I decide to have something quick and simple - sushi and green tea looked perfect. I was reassured of its quality given how quickly the packs were being snapped up by the hurrying commuters as soon as they get off their train. 

As I savour my sushi, I mull  over the day's experiences and contemplate tomorrow's mission which was to find Grand Central Station and take the train to upstate New York to visit a friend and join an afternoon tour of Kykuit Estate - the Rockefeller home! 

It is rather damp as I head outside of the Plaza and establish my bearings. There are so many exits and entrances to each station that I won't know where I am until I am outside and can read the street names. 

A rather damp evening in Manhattan

*PS April 2020 - You'll be glad to hear that I have since rectified the lack of accuracy with regards to the location of Liberty Landing Ferry to World Financial Center from the New Jersey side in Google Maps. 

#Manhattan #USA #NY #NewYork #EllisIsland #StatueofLiberty #LibertyIsland 

An Aussie in New York - Wall Street Tour, 9/11 Memorial and Empire State building - Day 4

Photos by Maria Ngo

I'm starting to feel more comfortable about getting around in New York. Not 100% confident yet, but more comfortable - it's out of necessity that I'm taking the subway as it is the quickest way to get to the various sights. I have had one go at it yesterday and got slightly lost, but today, I am going to be taking it to the southern end of Manhattan. From Pennsylvania Station to Wall Street Station. Only 5 stops and 15 minutes ride. 

One of the challenges of the subway is the myriad of entrances and exits! Finding the correct entrance from ground level is easier than finding the exit closest to where you want to be for your destination once you reach your stop. You have to know which line you want to be on before you enter the subway because you can't change platforms to a line going the opposite direction once you go past the gate or turnstile.  This was quite unlike the train stations I am used to in Melbourne. Another difference is the 'grace period'  in Melbourne's train system - you can enter and exit (tap on and tap off) within a few minutes and you won't be charged for it. 

With my Metro Card safely tucked away in my jacket pocket for easy access, I descend to the bowels of New York one more time to be confronted by the rush and crush of New Yorkers heading to work. I don't quite feel like a fish out of water until I discover it is a turnstile. I don't know how it operates. The people in front of me (visitors to New York) are also having trouble. I give up and as I have already paid my fare, in order to get through, I end up shoving myself behind a slim young lady and encroaching right into her space to get past the turnstile. LOL!! I don't know what she thinks but she doesn't say anything. 

It is a smooth trip apart from that one incident. Upon arriving at Wall Street Station I have no idea which exit to take. And as you know, GPSes do not work underground. So I just pick one and hope for the best. Once I emerge from underground I am still uncertain of my exact location. I walk around a bit until I find an intersection and locate my position on Maps. Because of the tall buildings all around, the GPS signal can bounce around a bit and cannot be relied on to give you an accurate lock. You still need to be able to have some basic map reading skills the old fashion way. 

After orienting myself I start to relax. As I still have a bit of time to get to the meetup point, I decide to check out the water front view before heading to the meeting point for the Wall Street Tour. The meet up point is in the atrium across the street from 57 Wall Street. Near Starbucks. 

I locate our guide waiting with a sign by a pillar after a quick loo stop. There will be no toilet stops along the way. After welcoming us, she gives us a brief history of New York with the help of her folder filled with photographs and other useful information. Then its off for an information packed and brisk walk. 

Wall Street itself consists of just 8 blocks. Lower Manhattan or Downtown Manhattan/New York can trace its history to 1624 with the arrival of the Dutch. The original inhabitants were the Lenapes. The Dutch West Indies company imported African slaves to defend their territory against the natives and built a fort here. They defeated the local inhabitants and massacred them. They signed a treaty in 1645. "The colony was granted self-government in 1652, and New Amsterdam was formally incorporated as a city on February 2, 1653."  

In 1664 the English conquered it and renamed it New York after the Duke of York. The city was later renamed New Orange by the Dutch who regained it in 1673. However it was later ceded to the English in 1674 for Suriname. 

The Lenape population do not fare well under Dutch or English rule and by 1700 there were just 200 of them left. A university is built under the charter of George II of Great Britain in 1754 in Lower Manhattan. It is named King's College. 

The first organized resistance to British authority across the seas was in 1765 where the Stamp Act Congress met in New York City. The city later "became a haven for loyalist refugees, becoming a British stronghold for the entire war... the area also became the focal point for Washington's espionage and intelligence-gathering." 

Our guide walks and points out some indentations in the wall of the JP Morgan Building. That was left intentionally to remind New Yorkers of a bomb that went off right in the street in 1920. The exploding cart killed more than 30 people and injured 300 people. The perpetrators were never caught. Prior to that day, traffic could still drive along this street. 

At the Stock Exchange building I spy the Fearless girl. 

Our guide points out a working dog at a guard house - it's a bomb detector dog. Signs of heightened security since September 11, 2001. 

She then takes us to another corner where we get a good view of the famed Delmonico’s restaurant. The first restaurant in New York - where a meal could cost you 2 weeks’ wages when it first opened for business in 1827 and where table cloth was used on its tables. (Incidentally, from my previous catacombs tour I remember that the Delmonicos are buried in the catacombs at Old St Patrick’s Cathedral.) 

We walk over to Stone Street. It was the first street to be paved in New York. One can only imagine what it was like prior to that with wave after wave of migrants seeking a better future for themselves. It is now a popular dining spot. 

At another stop, she points out Fraunces Tavern. Where the owner turned out to be a spy for George Washington. There is a museum here which I would have loved to have had the time to visit. There is a lot of history here and she regales us with more information. 

I get a close view of the famed Bull and wonder about the metal strips at our feet - she explains that they are official ticker tape parades that have been held in the street. 

And of course, can one come to New York on a tour and not have Alexander Hamilton's tomb pointed out in Trinity Church cemetery? I make a mental note to visit the place at some time later if I have time. 

The tour comes to a close near the 9/11 Memorial. Perfect for my next stop. Just at the corner of the Memorial, I see a few friendly NYPD officers and wondered if I would be bold enough to have a photo with them. Well, guess what.  

I thank them for their time and for obliging me and then turn my attention to the Memorial. There is a solemnity about the place. There are two large rectangular pools of water which mark the footprints of the Twin Towers. The names of those who died in the attacks of September 11, 2001 as well as February 26, 1993 are inscribed into bronze parapets surrounding these Memorial Pools. Altogether there are 2,983 names - these include men, women and children. These include those on location, the first responders, the Pentagon as well as the five flights. 

I take a selfie in front of the pool but am unsure whether it is appropriate to smile or not in such a solemn place. 

In the lawn area is a very special tree called the 'Survivor Tree'. It was found amongst the wreckage of the 9/11 attacks - its limbs were charred stumps but it still showed signs of life and leaves. It was transported to the Bronx and cared for until it was replanted in December 2010 here. Now each spring it bursts forth with beautiful blossoms as a symbol of resilience. 

After a walk around the outside of the Memorial I join the very short queue to the Museum itself. There is much to see and experience in the Museum.  The "Memorial Museum tells the story of 9/11 through media, narratives, and a collection of monumental and authentic artifacts, presenting visitors with personal stories of loss, recovery, and hope." 

The museum was indeed a very moving experience and a very well designed, well thought through and integrated sensory journey. I leave with a better understanding and appreciation of humanity's capacity for compassion, cooperation and courage in the face of great tragedy. 

Photography is allowed in only some areas of the museum. 

As I complete my tour of the museum, there is an interactive digital screen where people can write a message which is later projected onto a panel to form part of the exhibition. 

The museum has indeed been a very moving experience and an architectural jewel - so well designed and well thought through to provide an integrated sensory journey. I leave with a better understanding and appreciation of humanity's capacity for compassion, cooperation and courage in the face of great tragedy. 

It has also made me more aware of the importance of symbols as strong signs of hope and expressions of grief and recovery. It has also shown me just how much we need one another and rely on one another as community. None of us can live as Islands or lone rangers. We couldn't be the best version of ourselves by ourselves. We have much to give and also to receive. 

It also impressed on me just how that only as nation a is founded on values that cherish the person as one made in the image of God and accords human dignity accordingly to the individual and with it systems that uphold and value integrity and true liberty can produce such a symbol of rebirth, compassion and rebirth. 

I take a few moments to soak in the experience as I sip on a coffee from the café where I can see the trident and the city through the glass walls. The museum is best experienced over a few hours - definitely not something you would want to rush through. 

I take a deep breath and decide that I am going to make the most of my three day pass. The sun had set a little while ago. I steel myself to visit the Empire State Building. I ride 8 stops on the yellow line and then walk the short distance to my destination. I am a bit wary of walking in this part of the city after dark as there isn't that much police presence here. I was keenly aware of my first experience as a solo female traveller. 

I encounter the turnstile. This time it doesn't give me any grief. 

 I breathe a sigh of relief when I arrive at the 102 storey art deco building - the Empire State Building. It is 381m tall and was completed in 1931. It held the title of the world's tallest building until 1971. 

There is a small museum before you get to the observation deck. The view is quite magnificent indeed. But the price, well, if this wasn't an inclusion in the New York Pass, I would not have purchased a separate ticket for it. 

According to the Britannica, "the Empire State Building has made guest appearances in numerous popular cultural mediums—beginning with perhaps its first and most famous one, in the film King Kong, which was released in 1933, soon after the building’s opening." 

All in all, I felt quite pleased with how I had been able to get good use from the pass. A lot of research and planning had gone into creating my big list (with entry prices, location, opening times details) and then my short list of activities and sights I wanted to use my pass for. I had to forgo some activities e.g. bike ride through Central Park because of the timing and location of the other things I wanted to do. For example, as the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island visit is rather inexpensive, it made more sense to buy a separate ticket for that than to use my pass for it. I used both a Google Maps saved list feature and  Google sheet to work out my itinerary and activities to arrive at the best combination of activities to maximise my time and cost investment. 

Speaking of the famed lady, that's where I'll be going tomorrow. 

#wallstreet #manhattan #NewYork #9/11 #Sept11, #EmpireStateBuilding #Metrosubway #NY #NYcity #USA  #9/11Memorial